Monday, October 26, 2009

It’s bad enough that Stephen Harper plunged Canada back into deficit again, BEFORE there was any recession.

It’s even worse that Conservative behaviour during the recession has been constantly tainted by ethical violations.

A lot of honest, hard-working Canadians are worried about their jobs, the well-being of their families, and the security of their pensions. They have every right to expect their government will work as hard and honestly as they do.

But instead, this government delivers an orgy of partisanship, favouritism and waste.

Four independent news organizations (the Globe and Mail, the Halifax Herald, the Ottawa Citizen and the CBC) have investigated and verified Liberal research showing how federal infrastructure announcements are heavily skewed toward Conservative ridings.

More than 60 Conservative M.P.’s have been involved in phony cheque presentations, using party logos and false signatures to imply the Government of Canada and the Conservative Party are the same thing. (Once caught, at least six of these Conservatives have admitted their wrong-doing).

Beyond phony cheques and glitzy signs on everything from commuter trains to door knobs, the Conservatives have launched the most twisted and partisan advertising blitz in Canadian history. The cost will soon reach $100 million – maybe more – all of it borrowed and all of it at taxpayers’ expense.

Instead of outrageous Conservative propaganda, that money could have put new MRI machines in 50 hospitals. It could have paid the salaries of more than 1,600 nurses. That money could have funded 33,000 hip, knee or cataract surgeries, or 14,000 insulin pumps for kids with juvenile diabetes.

A hundred million dollars would pay for 1,000 new units of affordable housing, or three million bus passes for low income seniors, or the tuition fees of nearly 17,000 students.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Good discussion over at Scott's Diatribes on Harper's hyper-religious nature impacting all his policy... Thought the issue deserves some more attention, so we'll post our response to the blog here. See Diatribes for more responses on a very good blogpost and discussion - a discussion WE MUST HAVE right now:

We certainly cannot sit back and allow the public to think that some of Harper's wacko right ideas are "okay". By not standing up in Parliament and opposing NeoCon views on human rights, women's and minority rights, immigration, equal marriage, foreign affairs, the environment, and urban issues, and doing it vociferously, we are basically saying "yes, go ahead and move Canada to the right".

The public DOES feel a certain (Centrist) way in Canada, but a whole lot of influence from a government that advertises their views on Canadians' buck, and the relentless nature of it - with no clear dissenting view in Parliament - WILL have the effect Harper and his NeoCon henchmen wish.

The average "Joe Public" will see the only view is the Conservative one (right or wrong). There is enough "dumbing down" in the Conservative message, that makes people without a clue think they'll be helped by them (I've seen people on welfare with Conservative lawn signs - idiotic, yes, but part and parcel of the massive misinformation campaign going on right now. I can tell you that I'm going to eventually kill your funding, bury it on page 1000 of my budget, then pose with your cousin in a Tim's, or in the stands of a hockey game/sporting event, and - voila! - I get your vote.

That's the Harper delusion (over the masses). Don't look at my policy, and how EVERY PART of it specifically impacts you. I'm a "populist". Watch me pose with my Tims (shameless corporate plug by our PM), and believe me (please) when I tell you that I'm a beer and pizza guy... It's a play right out of the US NeoCon movement playbook. False populism.

We need to wake up and do better. We have taken strides with the first step: actually opposing.

We will be taking advantage of our "renewed opposition status", and there is a strong likelihood we will begin to stand up for our moderate liberal ideals on a more regular basis. We can see it in the environment issue. We are seeing it with the Pink Book. Stay tuned for more. We're only just getting started!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Seems to me, the Conservatives were so delusional in their narrow view of Ottawa politics during their years of recent Opposition, that they actually believed what they are doing today (with the cheques, and many other possibly illegal partisan activities) was something the "Liberals were also doing"...

It really strikes me, that I recall - quite clearly - Reformer acquaintances talking about the "Ottawa/Toronto/Ontario Feeding trough", and how it was all about greedy MPs padding their own pockets...

Appears they decided they were "gonna get me some" too...

Good for them.

Only one thing: The Liberal MPs never did anything REMOTELY like this scheme - this "Cheque-Scam" - that seems to be rooted in Harper's Conservative PMO... I mean, c'mon... even the media knows "The Mastermind" has such a firm grip on his caucus (firm grip on his caucus... hahaha...) that NOTHING occurs without his say-so... Isn't that right, all you so-called "journalists" out there? Isn't it time you began using that little piece of paper you received in your 3-5 years (longer for some) in college?

After months of denial, the Conservatives finally had to release the audited financial statements of the Government of Canada for last fiscal year (2008/09). They revealed that for the first time in more than a decade, this country fell back into the red by about $6 billion.

Here’s a key point to note: This deficit began BEFORE, not because of, the recession!

These financial statements reflect primarily what was happening BEFORE the recession hit last fall.

They show how the Conservatives wildly increased spending by a whopping 18% between 2006 and 2008. That’s three-times the rate of inflation.

They show how the Conservatives eroded Canada’s tax base, and recklessly eliminated all the “reserves” which had been built into the federal books to protect against sudden nasty downturns

All that happened BEFORE there was any recession.

So when the housing market collapsed in the United States and American banks began to fail last fall – spreading economic contagion around the world – Canada had nothing left to protect itself.

We were forced back into deficit because our financial strength had been squandered through Conservative fiscal tomfoolery when times were still good.

Two key points are clear:

1.If the prudent fiscal policies of previous Liberal governments had stayed in effect in this country after the government changed in 2006, Canada’s deficit today (even with the recession) would be only a fraction of what it is; and

2.With Mr. Harper’s reckless fiscal policies, Canada would have a deficit today no matter what – even if there had been no recession at all.

For the future, his numbers will get worse. Mr. Harper is another $56 billion in the hole this year (2009/10), and his total legacy of debt will balloon to more than $170 billion.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

World-renouned climate change expert (some say the "founder" of the science) Tim Flannery was on "The Hour" tonight (with our boyfriend) talking about Canada's assinine antics at the international table...

Flannery explained how when the Canadian representative spoke at a recent international climate change conference, some members began to show disinterest by reading notes, etc., since Canada (read: The Harper Conservatives) views were SO DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD. He explained how even China and the US are "on board", stating "it used to be China, now it's Canada".

"Fossil Interests seem to be holding Canada hostage on this..."

Meanwhile, today, at the G77 conference in Bangkok, South Africa led a walkout of several dozen nations when Canada's Minister of "Anti-Environment" - Jim Prentice - spoke the anti-environment Conservative view... We all know Prentice: MP from the riding which hosts more Big Oil headquarters than any other riding in Canada...

As always, Harper will try to destroy anything he doesn't like from within... Anything he wants to break, tear down, or privatize. Show it is useless and rotting... that there is "no agreement between parties", etc... : Government, Healthcare, First Nations health, Nuclear regulatory agencies, the Environment, etc., etc., etc....

Friday, October 09, 2009

No. Seriously. There is a lot of depth and breadth to Mr. Ignatieff, and we will be getting our story out (with a bit more urgency now). We know we've been holding back... "saving it". Waiting for the 10th round. The "election rhetoric" was just that - rhetoric. We can be pretty sure the NDP was going to back the Reformers... There was no way they couldn't. Now we get to spend many weeks/months defining ourselves by the very task of OPPOSING the Cons. It's a good place to be.

Glad to see our party hold together, and continue to focus on the battle at hand. We will ensure that we give no quarter, and back from no challenge, when our leader and our party come under attack. A vicious, calculated, and efficient defence is JUST the answer to the recent polls and Conservative attack ads/and recent public mispending for their own PR.

What Ms. Hall-Findlay and Mr. Kennedy are accomplishing in Parliament WILL get people listening... More of us need to echo those words.

One thing we certainly are, is a good team. We are a team united against a "one man show". Let's not forget that.

Remember this: We don't need to "take the high road" anywhere. Politics is politics. Let's not resist "being political". We tried to be nice for a while... and it backfired (and has for 5 years). That doesn't mean we shouldn't pursue "a new politics". We should - if the new politics involves calling the Reform-a-Tories on everything they do. If that new politics involves presenting clearly Liberal ideas that will challenge and encourage Canadians to grow with us through this Conservative Recession...

Eloquent and intellectual as our tough leaders of the past were, backed into at corner they would not hesitate to tell their opponent (or the media) to "fuck off".

Time to roll up our sleeves and be that proud "Big Red Machine" we know we all are. We have the money, and we've assembled quite a team. Let's put it to proper use.

Friday, October 02, 2009

Thank you Michael - for giving us a bite that matches our "bark". Change is a-comin', and your speech today was a starting point. Let's continue with this theme of "Liberal vision for Canada" - but let's make sure our MPs and TV ads echo the points and forceful nature of the speech...